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Zoom's A3 Acoustic Guitar Effects Pedal is the first of its kind. It allows players to restore the natural tone of their acoustic guitars while continuing to use pickup systems for amplification. > More

Zoom A2.1u Acoustic Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal Product Description

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96kHz sampling brings out the true nature of acoustic guitar soundThe rich, detailed tone of an acoustic guitar is created by a delicate triple harmony of strings, neck, and body. But a piezo or magnetic pickup never captures the full body resonance, often resulting in thin sound dominated by the strings. This tendency can't be fully compensated with a conventional preamp equalizer.

The A2 series incorporates 24-bit / 96 kHz sampling and sophisticated sound modeling technology to process the line signal from the pickup, adding a lush body tone and the spatial ambience that is created by mic recording. Even when playing through an amplifier or PA speaker, the resonance of the guitar body is restored, allowing the natural acoustic sound to shine through.

The Zoom ZFX-3 32-bit DSP chipThe heart of any multi-effect device is its processor and decoder section. Zoom has attained a higher level with the ZFX-3 chip. 32-bit architecture ensures outstanding performance and allows smooth and detailed signal processing. Fine nuances of fingering and touch come through without any deterioration, thanks to this incredibly powerful DSP.

Select optimum characteristics to match pickup and amp modelThe Global module that controls settings for the entire unit combines a pair of parameters called Amp Select and Pickup Select. These let you optimize frequency response for the type of pickup and amp that you are using. Whether recording or live on stage, you can always get just the right acoustic sound.

Amp SelectChoose from three settings (combo, bright combo, stack) and eliminate the excessive treble that can ruin the sound when playing an acoustic guitar through an amp.

Pickup SelectBesides piezo and magnetic for acoustic guitars, electric guitar pickup settings such as single-coil and humbucker settings are available, allowing you to use the unit as an acoustic guitar simulator.

Six-band linear equalizer or two-band parametric equalizer provide ambience controlCenter frequency allocation and filter slopes of the built-in six-band EQ are optimized for acoustic guitar. Peaking type filters in the crucial middle range (320Hz, 500Hz, 1.2kHz, 6.3kHz) are augmented by shelving-type filters at the low and high end (60Hz and 12kHz). Further flexibility is offered by the possibility to switch to a two-band parametric EQ, for delivering a pin-point boost or cut. The A2 series lets you really take control.

Feedback control featureWhen playing an acoustic guitar on stage, acoustic feedback (howling) is often a problem--but now there is a remedy. The feedback control feature allows automatic or manual detection of the constantly changing feedback point, and an effective notch filter is then brought into action to provide the required attenuation. Auto detection can be triggered with the foot switch to allow swift reaction during a performance.

47 high-quality effects implemented with 32-bit processingEight modules dedicated to aspects such as dynamics, filtering, modulation, and ambience offer a total of 47 effects. A limiter/compressor lets you control peaks and ensure that levels are matched. The air effect simulates the ambience in a room, the detune effect adds pitch-shifted harmony components for that fleeting 12-string guitar sound. Or emphasize a specific frequency range with the resonator. All of these effects are optimized for acoustic guitar and can be put to use right away. Other features include multi-tap delay and long delay with settings up to 5000ms, reverse delay, flanger, phaser, and various other studio-class effects.

Add body and depth with 3 types of chorusAdd just the right amount of body and depth to the sound when you need it. The choice is yours: warm and mild mono chorus, clear and transparent stereo chorus, expansive and three-dimensional chorus ensemble, and more.

Enhance your acoustic sound with 9 types of reverbThe A2 has nine types of reverb designed specifically for acoustic guitar including Hall, Room, Arena, Tiled Room. Many guitarists will also be familiar with Spring Reverb. The A2 also features a reverb setting called "Early Reflections" and a Slap Reverb that is a first for this class. Each reverb setting is fully adjustable so the user can make each phrase more distinct.

12 acoustic guitar/preamp sound character simulationsA simulation module lets you choose among a number of very famous and popular acoustic guitar tones. The different sonic characteristics that depend on body size and shape as well as on the materials used are faithfully reproduced. What's more, a mic module simulates the sound of guitar as recorded through a microphone, with selectable positioning and mic type (dynamic / condenser).

Martin D-28: Martin, the leading manufacturer of acoustic guitars, introduced this model in 1931. With its Dreadnought body, it has become the "gold standard" of acoustic guitars. The sound is well balanced and rich, great for chord play.

Gibson SJ-200: This is the top-ranked model from Gibson, known as the "king of flat-tops". Its extra large body produces sound on a grand scale with a rich low-end.

Martin OOO-18: Slightly smaller than a Dreadnought, this is the definitive Auditorium body guitar. The detailed, bright sound is typically Martin, which is why the guitar is often used for recording.

Gibson J-45: A Dreadnought model with a smooth round shoulder design. Much loved by blues and rock guitarists for its warm tone and unique attack dynamics.

Tacoma C3C: Concentrating on the top plate sound, the sound-hole of the C3C is located in the low-vibration shoulder area. A characteristic midrange tone is the hallmark of this guitar.

Ovation Adamas: This celebrated electroacoustic guitar is famous for its unique and original design with a molded round back body and epaulette-type sound-hole consisting of many tiny holes.

Nylon (Zoom original): Simulates the soft and delicate sound of a nylon-string guitar. Great for classical music, Jazz, Bossa Nova, Flamenco and other finger-picking styles.

Selmer Maccaferri: Simulation of the Selmer-Maccaferri guitar used by Gypsy Jazz great Django Reinhardt in France from 1930 into the fifties. The Maccaferri model is characterized by its distinctive mid/high-range sound.

Dobro Model 27: This is a resonator guitar from Dobro with wooden body and metal resonator. Suitable for country blues and slide/bottleneck playing styles.

National Reso-phonic Style O: This is a resonator guitar from National with brass body and metal resonator. It produces a more metallic sound than a Dobro.

*Manufacturer names and product names mentioned in this table are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The names are used only to illustrate sonic characteristics and do not indicate any affiliation with the Zoom Corporation.

Analog style editing knobs make it a snap to create your very own soundThe three rotary knobs let you tailor three different parameters at the same time. This could be sensitivity, attack, and level for the compressor effect, or delay time, feedback, and mixing level for the delay effect. It's like having an array of stomp boxes ready for action. In play mode, the three knobs adjust the modulation effect mix level, delay/reverb mix level, and the patch level. This lets you quickly match the unit's performance to the band or the room acoustics.

40 ready to use preset patches for stage and studioThe unit comes preprogrammed with recommended settings for various acoustic guitar models, settings that are modeled on the signature sound of famous guitarists, rich ambience settings using chorus and reverb, and more. Plus, a user area capable of storing another 40 patches gives you plenty of creative leeway.

World's fastest patch change speed: 8msThe annoying interval heard when switching patches on standard effects pedals has been virtually eliminated. With its record-setting speed of 0.008 seconds, the A2 series never misses a beat. For example, when changing to a lead solo during a song, you no longer need to press the switch slightly in advance. Simply push the foot switch and start playing the solo phrase.

Built-in auto-chromatic tuner for guitarThe guitar tuner can be called up instantly by pushing two foot switches together. High-brightness LED indicators make the note readout easy to see also on a dark stage. The calibration range is 435 to 445Hz, and mute tuning without sound output is also possible. Tuning has never been easier or more convenient.

ZNR keeps playing pauses quietThe built-in Zoom Noise Reduction (ZNR) provides optimized performance for guitar. While minimizing any alteration of the original sound, ZNR shuts out unwanted noise in the playing pauses. Even the tails of long sustain notes come out beautifully, with natural release.

Integrated drum machine with PCM sound sourcesRealistic drum sounds derived from PCM sources are arranged in a variety of rhythm patterns for different musical genres. The 40 rhythm variations include the steady 8-beat of Rock and Pop, funky 16-beat, a "Jazzy" 4-beat, and many more choices.

Sturdy metal chassis and rubber damping for superior toughness and durabilityThe combination of a solid metal chassis with shock-absorbent rubber damping ensures that the unit can stand up to the rigors of use on stage. Take it on the road or into the studio, the A2 series will not let you down.

Two-way power allows use just about anywhereThanks to its circuit design optimized for low voltage operation, the unit will run for more than 6.0 hours on a set of four IEC R6 (size AA) batteries. The included AC adapter (AD-0006) can be plugged in for extended studio work, but on stage you never need to worry about AC power.

Expression pedal adds further versatility to your guitar playThe built-in expression pedal is a great way to control effect parameters in real time. Besides adjusting the volume or the tone of a simulation effect, the pedal can be used for manual detection of feedback frequency, controlling the modulation rate, or adjusting the delay/reverb mix level. The dedicated Pedal Assign key and status LED indicators make it easy and quick to select the effect to control. Effect on/off switching is also possible by pushing the pedal fully down.

XLR output allows direct connection to PA mixer for stage workStandard XLR connector lets you establish a balanced link, to ensure degradation-free, clean sound transmission also over long cable runs. There is no need to use a DI box, even when you want to directly hook the unit up to a mixing console or PA system. The pre/post switch makes it possible to get the processed sound from the main outputs and the direct sound (not routed through the A/D converter) from the XLR output.

USB port enables computer recordingThe USB port allows the unit to function as an audio interface for a computer. Simply connect a USB cable to utilize the high-quality sound of the A2.1u in a computer-based recording system. The superb "Cubase LE" DAW software comes bundled with the unit, so you can start creating sophisticated music straight away. Because playback from the DAW application can be monitored at the A2.1u itself, there are no latency problems during recording. Powering the unit from the computer via the USB bus is also supported.